— Growing Up Into Christ
There is a difference between being saved…
and being spiritually mature.
There is a difference between being in Christ…
and functioning like it.
Paul speaks about “babes in Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:1).
He also speaks about a “faithful man” (2 Timothy 2:2).
Every believer begins in the same place.
But not every believer stays there.
And in this present Dispensation of Grace, spiritual growth is not optional —
it is essential.
▪️What Does “Man” Mean?
When Scripture speaks of “the spiritual man” (1 Corinthians 2:15), it is not talking about gender. It is talking about humanity.
God created man as:
• Spirit
• Soul
• Body
(1 Thessalonians 5:23)
To understand spiritual growth, we must understand how these parts function — especially in light of Adam and Christ.
▪️Stage One: The Natural Man
Every person enters this world “in Adam.”
“The first man Adam was made a living soul” (1 Corinthians 15:45).
Because of Adam’s fall, man’s spirit is dead toward God.
Separated.
Darkened.
Unable to discern spiritual truth.
“The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God… neither can he know them” (1 Corinthians 2:14).
This is not about intelligence.
It is about spiritual life.
The natural man may be educated.
Religious.
Moral.
But he is spiritually blind.
That is where we all began.
▪️Stage Two: Babe in Christ
Then comes salvation.
By grace.
Through faith.
Apart from works.
According to the gospel committed to Paul (1 Corinthians 15:1–4).
The moment a sinner believes, something miraculous happens:
• The spirit is made alive.
• The believer is placed into Christ.
• A new identity begins.
Yet growth has only started.
“As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2).
A babe in Christ is saved — fully saved — but still learning:
• Who they are in Christ.
• How grace operates.
• How to rightly divide the Word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15).
There is life.
But there is still immaturity.
And that is normal — at first.
▪️Stage Three: The Carnal Believer
Here is where many get stuck.
Paul told the Corinthians:
“Are ye not carnal?” (1 Corinthians 3:3).
Carnal believers are saved.
Their spirit is alive.
But their mind is still controlled by the flesh.
They:
• React emotionally instead of spiritually.
• Depend on feelings instead of Scripture.
• Struggle with envy, strife, division.
They have enough truth to function —
but they do not apply it consistently.
They know verses.
But they do not let the verses shape their decisions.
They are in Christ —
but not walking in the Spirit.
▪️Stage Four: The Spiritual Man — The Faithful Man
This is the goal.
“He that is spiritual judgeth all things” (1 Corinthians 2:15).
Not critical.
Not harsh.
But discerning.
A spiritual man is:
• Grounded in sound doctrine.
• Governed by rightly divided Scripture.
• Led by the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16).
He does not chase new revelations.
He does not rely on impressions or inner voices.
He does not build doctrine on feelings.
He lets the Word of God do the leading.
He thinks grace.
He reasons through Scripture.
He responds with doctrine.
This is the “faithful man” of 2 Timothy 2:2 —
one who receives truth, lives it, and passes it on.
Not just saved.
Not just informed.
But stable.
▪️The Key: God’s Word Rightly Divided
Spiritual growth does not come from emotion.
It does not come from experience.
It does not come from signs.
It comes from doctrine.
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God… that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16–17).
But we must rightly divide it (2 Timothy 2:15).
We must understand:
• Israel’s program.
• The mystery revealed to Paul.
• Our identity in the Body of Christ.
Without right division, growth is confused.
With right division, growth becomes clear.
Clarity produces stability.
Stability produces faithfulness.
▪️Spiritually Minded
“To be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Romans 8:6).
This does not mean mystical.
It means Scripture-controlled.
A spiritually minded believer:
• Filters decisions through doctrine.
• Interprets circumstances through grace.
• Measures success by faithfulness — not applause.
That is maturity.
Not dramatic.
Not flashy.
But steady.
▪️Why This Matters Now
We live in a time of rapid change.
Truth is blurred.
Convictions are soft.
Doctrine is often replaced with emotion.
But this present Dispensation of Grace is also a time of immense opportunity.
The gospel of the grace of God is going out farther and faster than ever before.
And God is not looking for spiritual infants to carry it forward.
He is looking for faithful men.
Believers who:
• Understand the mystery.
• Stand in grace.
• Teach others also.
We are called to grow up.
To step forward.
To pass the baton of sound doctrine.
Not someday.
Now.
▪️The Question
Are you saved? Praise God.
But are you growing?
Are you still reacting in the flesh?
Or responding with doctrine?
Still depending on feelings?
Or anchored in rightly divided truth?
God did not save us merely to remain babes.
He saved us to mature.
To discern.
To function.
To become faithful men in the Body of Christ.
Let us grow.
Let us stand.
Let us make our faith real — not by emotion, but by truth.
Because in this age of grace,
maturity is not optional.
It is our calling.
